INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – For
LeBron James, the postseason takes on a quite literal meaning. For the past several years, when the playoffs rolled around, James commemorated the change by orienting his offensive game out of the post more frequently.
With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, James has already started the transition.
In Cleveland’s 114-88 win over Miami on Thursday, James parked himself in the post often and it led to an efficient offensive night with 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting to go with seven assists.
“It’s a shift of mindset, that’s all,” James said at the time of his decision to locate his game below the foul line primarily. “I understand what’s ahead of us and I’m just trying to get a good feel for it.”
When the doors opened to the media following
Cleveland Cavaliers practice on Saturday, there was James banging bodies with Cavs player development coach Phil Handy on the block, working on post move after post move.
James said his post game, which he didn’t go to too often for most of the regular season – preferring to operate from the top of the key – is beginning to sharpen.
“I feel great,” James said. “I think by the time the playoffs start, I’ll be right where I want to be. So I’m looking forward to the postseason and getting back down there and being very productive.”
Not only is James able to take advantage of small forwards in the post who cannot physically hope to match his 6-8, 250-pound frame, but it also gives him an opportunity to distribute to the Cavs’ cadre of 3-point shooters in
Kevin Love, J.R. Smith,
Kyrie Irving, James Jones et al for open looks.
Luol Deng. Chicago could pose a bigger challenge when the Cavs host the Bulls on Sunday should James want to go back to the paint and the Bulls choose to assign either
Joakim Noah or
Taj Gibson to guard him.
Of course, the advantage to having a player like that take him on is that James can opt to face up as soon as he receives the entry pass in the post and then put the ball on the floor to get around the defender.
“I play both ways,” James said. “I can play with my back towards the basket or face up. So, and even when my back is turned towards the basket, I’m still seeing the defense. I’m able to know exactly where the defense is coming from or where they are and also know where my teammates are, so I have the luxury of being able to do both.”
It’s a facet to James’ game that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra worked tirelessly to have the four-time MVP accept, as
ESPN.com’s Tom Haberstroh detailed back in 2012, and now it’s something that Cavs coach David Blatt can reap the benefits of as James is volunteering that versatility.
“I sure like what he’s doing in the post,” Blatt said Thursday. “He’s going in there with conviction and he’s doing a great job scoring the ball and facilitating from that spot. That’s not where we want him all the time, but certainly to our advantage we like to use it and he’s a player that gives you an advantage down there.”
is a such smug, glib head coach brehs, dude is like
this entire post game presser
yeah I wasn't criticizing him, I'm loving this feud. Blatt may fukk things up now and then but he's still a damn good coach, especially with the situation he was thrown into.
